Operation AD
by Dawn Totadile
Summary: (Another Daydream) 6 years since Numbuh 1 was taken, his team has become teens. They still work with the KND but now there is a TND to join up with it and a computer that claims it knows a kid that rescues long lost operatives. But what secrets does this 12AD hold in her hand and will she be able to rescue the missing operative before her family finds out? Kids Next Door Rulez!
1. Chapter 1: Final Entry

Operative's Log: Final Entry

I'm an operative that has no group. I'm known simply as numbuh 12A.D. I'm going to my decommissioning in an hour, as that is midnight when my 13th birthday starts. It has been an honor to serve with my fellow operatives, though most don't know I even exist or was present when needed. I have no one to cry for me, no one who should at any rate. I'm one of the operatives who has had the lonely honor of being labeled "The Lone Wolf." I hope that I have made a difference on this world for kids everywhere. Maybe someday I'll be brought back or asked to help a little kid in need.

My hero's in sector V have all proceeded me into the decommissioning module, even though not a single one deserved it. The only operative missing from the team was their leader, Nigel Uno, or as more know him, Numbuh 1.

Unfortunately I've discovered the truth all too late. I've left a copy of my notes about what had and has happened with the new supreme commander of the K.N.D., but I fear he will not believe a word of it.

To anyone who reads my journals, or finds my notes, I leave you this message; "What does every kid, teen, and adult know, for this is the reason they all fight."

Before I sign off though on my last entry log, I need to explain something that I said a few years back. I said, on my 10th birthday, "I know how to beat the decommissioning machine." I will do it. What this will do is make me decommissioned, yes, but I will leave a trigger or two so that if I'm needed someone can remind me what to do. To activate the triggers, just hand them to me. Hopefully that should work. It shouldn't be likely to happen though because I'm one of the most useless operatives in existence. No one should need me around right? I mean, I'm just a lone tactician… right?

End Transmission of Entry Log…


	2. Chapter 2: Punks Vs Sector V

Three years later…

A lone teen is running from a set of bullies. Her left eye is an ocean blue, while her right eye is a forest green with three coinciding scars on it. Her black glasses barely sitting on the rim of her bent nose. Her blonde hair tied back with a single black band into a ponytail. She knows that she should be scared of them, but she isn't. The only reason she continues to run is because she doesn't want to fight. To fight would mean to get into trouble, to get into trouble would mean a phone call home, a phone call home would mean a punishment from her mother.

"Hey come on 'Scar', get back here! You coward! You won't even spank children!" A teenager who's almost an adult is chasing her with his friends. They lost another fight and the way to make up for that? Pick on the freakiest teenager in school, the one who stands up for kids.

With a quick glance back to check how close her pursuers are, the girl smirks. 'I know every school I've ever gone to like those punks know football. They want to chase me? Then they better be ready for the arts and math zone!' She ran as fast as she could through her math class.

"What the…?" asked a confused math teacher as the girl slides under two desks on the carpet floor.

"Sorry, Mr. Fleckman, look out for Jake!" She runs through the other door and skids on the tiles past the art class. "Hey coach, keep the clay on the tables for a few more minutes!" she shouted as she ran through the exit door past one of the new kids from the east coast. "Heads up and dodge!"

By shoving her aside into the hands of the teacher, she manages to save the newbie from being run over by about six members of the football team and two members of the wrestling team. Running as fast as she can she takes some sharp turns past the bungalows that hold the language classes and hides in the forested area by the school. Before she even realizes it, she's sitting on a branch, hanging onto the trunk for dear life. 'Oh man, I'm afraid of heights!' She thinks as she stares at the ground expecting it to start swirling or something.

"Hey 'Scar', come out and fight, ya stupid kid lover!" says the leader of the little gang. He is the smallest of the group, but the toughest and smartest, nonetheless, not that that means much. Jake has brown hair and a bunch of bruises and padding for football and fighting the K.N.D., not that it helps him really.

'Scar' looked down at the teens with contempt. 'They're so strong and all they can do is hurt others. What ever happened to a time when people would stand up for others, especially those younger than themselves.'

"Now why don't you leave her alone, what did she do to you boys?" comes a voice from behind. It sounded like a cool jazz style voice that belonged to a hip DJ girl. The girl who owned the voice was the newbie who had been shoved towards the teacher. She was wearing a blue basketball shirt and shorts with a red cap and a set of shades were in her pocket.

"Abbey, get out of here, this isn't a game! Run!" 'Scar' blinked. She hadn't even asked the girl's name before, and she had just come to school today.

"I'd listen to 'Scar' if I were you, cutie!" the boys teased. "After all, you're on your own, and there's all of us."

"Hey losers!" came a shout as a lemon flew into the center of their group. Abbey covered her eyes and 'Scar' looked away. The lemon then blew up spraying lemon juice at everyone's eyes.

"AAaagghhh!" The boys screamed as they ran off blindly.

"Don't mess with my girlfriend!" came the shout of a tall, skinny teen with a brown cap on his head and a set of goggle like glasses. He was wearing a blue shirt and some brown cargo pants.

He ran towards Abbey to see if she was okay. 'Scar' just smirked. 'Strange how four kids from the same town all move here within the same month and to the same school as well... eh, who cares, at least she has backup and friends… now how come I'm not panicking at how high I am? I'm at least ten feet up.'

Abbey then looked up at the girl and asked, "Hey, you coming down?"

"You kidding? I don't even know how the heck I got up here!" She yelled down to the two teens. 'Or how I know your names…' She then looked down and saw a pattern of branch stubs along the tree's trunk. 'How come I'm not afraid? I've always stayed away from high places 'cause my mom said it made me dizzy.' She closed her eyes and thought for a minute about using the stubs as steps on a ladder. When she opened her eyes she found herself standing on the ground with a hand on the tree and a foot carefully on one of the roots. "What the…?"

"You okay? You look sorta confused." Asked the boy.

"Hoagie's right,… what's your name anyway?" Abbey asked calmly, while observing the girl.

"It's Aurora… I'm sorry about shoving you at the teacher by the way… I just didn't want anyone getting hurt…"

"It's cool, thanks."

"Hey I found them, Kuki!" came an Australian voice. A tall teen, who was just a few inches shorter than Hoagie, came towards them. He had his blonde hair in a bowl cut around his head and an orange hoodie on. He was wore a set of jeans and carried a brown backpack that had a patch on the bottom and just above the latch.

Kuki was a Japanese girl who was almost impossible to hate. She loved almost everything and was one of the sweetest girls you could ever know. She was wearing a green dress with some green shorts underneath. She was holding her favorite backpack that was in the shape of a Rainbow Monkey, and she had long black hair. "There you are! Come on you guys, we gotta get going!"

Aurora flinched as her heart suddenly sped up on her. She then looked at the group and closed her eyes again. She started to see images while her eyes remained shut. She turned her head towards the other teenagers next to her. She saw them as children, or at least, how they once were as children.

Abbey had a braid now and was wearing her red cap as well as a blue basketball jersey dress. Hoagie was wearing a set of aviators goggles with the helmet to join it. His blue button top and brown cargo pants fit snug on his round young self. Kuki looked almost exactly like how she did now, only smaller and was holding a hamster in her hands. Wally was way shorter and tougher looking.

Aurora shook her head and opened her eyes. She clenched her fists and took a deep breath. She then turned towards the tree to hide her disorders.

"Something wrong with ya, Aurora?" Abbey asked.

Aurora was looking once again at the carvings in the tree. "I'm… I'm fine. I just… nevermind you wouldn't believe me. Anyway, if you guys got somewhere to be, ya better scoot. As for me, I'm going to figure out why this tree has my character's sig in it."


	3. Chapter 3: The Lone Wolf Treehouse

"Sig? What's a sig?" Hoagie was scratching his head as he looked at the carvings in the wood. There were four carvings, one for every stub she had used as a step. A 1 and 2, and then an A and D were all carved into the stubs.

"Sorry, its short for signature. 12AD is the codename I gave to a character in one of my stories, you know like spies or the KND with the numbers and letters and stuff?" She started to tap the carvings in the order of "12AD" and chuckled at the thought of them actually doing anything.

Just as she pressed the "D", the tree started to glow. The teens stepped back. A small door opened, just big enough to fit a person. Aurora looked at it and almost instinctively started towards it.

"Hey, wait, you don't know what's in there." Hoagie exclaimed. He seemed nervous.

Aurora closed her eyes real quick and stared towards the door. In the doorway is a young girl wearing goggles. She's also wearing a hat that's blacker than the shadows of midnight. Her clothes were simple and familiar. A pink t-shirt with a set of blue jean overalls. She smirked as she looked behind her. Aurora opened her eyes and found that she could still see the little girl. "What the…? Who are you?"

"Who are you asking?" Wally asked.

"The little girl in the doorway, who else would I be asking?"

"Umm… there's… well no one's there…" Kuki said shyly.

Aurora looked at the teens and then back at the little girl. She was silent, and yet she could almost hear her saying, "They can't see me, that's your gift." The little girl started going in. She looked back towards Aurora as if to say, "Are you coming or what?"

"I'm going in. I'll see you guys later." She walked into the tree's door.

After a minute Abbey finally said, "Let's get after her before the KND sector that own this tree come and beat her to a pulp."

"Why? She's probably just another cruddy teen who hates everyone." Wally asked.

"That's not true, she shoved me out of the way of some bullies, so that I wouldn't get hurt. She can't hate everyone." Abbey started to follow, "Besides, we may have been moved out here, but we're still sector V." She whispered. 'He wouldn't want us to leave anyone behind either…'

The others nodded in agreement and started through the tunnels under the tree. The door closed behind them as lights turned on. They found Aurora lying on the ground in a fetal position, as though she had just been beaten to a pulp, but she didn't have a single mark on her.

"Oh no."

"What happened?"

"Hey, you okay?"

"Get up ya cruddy teen!"

Aurora opened her eyes to see who was shouting at her. She looked scared. Her scarred eye was opened wide and they could see their reflections in her eyes. She then sat up and said, "I'm fine… but she was all alone here… not even a hamster… or a dog… or anything… just alone…"

"Who was?" asked Abbey. She looked around and noticed that they were in an empty room with an old supercomputer that was still attached to the KND database. "This place is still online, but it looks like no one has been in here for years…"

"No one has. Please state your names and numbers if you recall any." Came an adult female voice from the computer.

"Whoa, the computer is still active?" Hoagie was impressed.

Abbey looked at her team and then to Aurora. She was staring at the computer as though she was trying to ask it for help. Abbigail took a deep breath and said, "I'm Abbigail Lincoln from Sector V, I'm Numbuh 5."

"Codename accepted."

The others started to name off themselves.

"Hoagie P. Gilligan the second, also known as Number 2."

"Kuki Sanban, I'm Number 3."

"Wallaby Beatles, Numbuh 4."

Then Aurora spoke up, quietly though. "I'm Aurora Dawn Marten. I don't think I had a number or was ever in the KND."

The computer processed the facts for a few minutes and then stated plainly, "Access Granted. Welcome to the Lone Wolf Tree house."

Aurora stood up and started towards the computer. She didn't know what she was doing, but that little girl was showing her what to do. She typed in a set of words, her favorite passcode and some doors opened. Then the computer said, "Number 5, if you would be so kind as to get the box at the end of the first hall. Number 2, there is a set of pencils next to a set of goggles on a table in the kitchen area. Please get them and bring them here. Numbuh 3, in the bedroom there is a teddy bear with a letter in his hands. Please bring the bear and the letter. Numbuh 4, please find the wooden sword. It has a blue gem in it."

"What good is a cruddy wooden sword?" he muttered as he walked off. The team was a little confused. Computers wouldn't give out orders normally, nor would they let operatives who were over the age limit into someone else's tree house, and they definitely wouldn't let someone who doesn't know if they were an operative or not into a treehouse without alerting the home team. This was just too weird...


	4. Chapter 4: The Lone Wolf

When sector V came back with the four objects they found that Aurora was still staring at the computer screen. There was a security tape on it showing a younger girl with a pink shirt and some blue jean overalls wearing the goggles that number 2 had gotten, and practicing with the wooden sword number 4 had. The teddy bear that number three had was sitting on the computer console next to the box that number 5 had grabbed.

The girl was fighting a dummy that had been set up in the room. It was fighting back surprisingly. "It may be my last month, but I've still got to keep in shape for any emergencies, computer. You never know when someone decides to pick on a kid." She then set down the sword after successfully destroying the dummy. "I just wish I had more time. I have all that knowledge and it's no good at all." She then walked up to the box and pulled out a few papers. "These are the original papers of KND Galactic's operatives that have been misled and or mind wiped into believing something else. I couldn't save a single one of them."

"You can now though, you have that formula." The computer argued.

"Yes, but what kid in their right mind would be willing to take a shot. Shots hurt horribly and even in a mind controlled state, I'm sure that Numbuh 1 and any others wouldn't take a shot, especially from the operative who doesn't exist to the majority of the KND."

"I will work to make the formula breathable, or maybe a candy. Will that work?"

"Yes, then I can leave a set of instructions for the supreme commander on how to get a hold of number Infinity so he can return the operatives back home."

"Numbuh Infinity? That cruddy jerk is the whole reason that numbuh 1's gone in the first place!" Number 4 was muttering under his breath.

"Hush." Number 3 said as she watched the security films.

The film than fast-forwarded to the last entry and the girl left her message as well as wrote it down onto a letter for the supreme commander. "This is it for me, computer. Now remember, only reactivate me in the case of an emergency. You know what a real emergency is, so don't go doing it for what you think is my own good. I know you."

"But what if you actually need help. Your scars will attract the attention of everyone, not to mention almost every villainous teenager near you. You'll…"

"I'll be fine computer. You know as well as I do that no one even recognizes me as operative number 12AD. No one will notice the difference. Not with the forms you helped me to make. Besides no one ever saw my face that still has their memory. They're all decommissioned. You know that means no one will remember me, or even recognize me…" She then took off her goggles and placed them on a small disk that put them in another room. When she lifted her head up to face the screen again, Aurora thought she was looking in a mirror.

Everyone gasped. They then looked at Aurora and noticed her eyes were widened. She was scared as she stared at the child on the screen. Her younger self looked at the screen with a fear in her eyes.

"Just make sure that when the antidote for the mind wiped operatives is complete that you work on the cure for the delightfulized operatives. Then when all that is completed I want you to find the perfect sector to deliver these and rescue the operatives. I don't want anyone to be left behind. No one deserves to be alone or left behind." Then the screen turned black leaving sector V and Aurora staring at a blank screen.


	5. Chapter 5: Unlocking the Choice

Aurora then turned and ran. She didn't run outside, like she had intended, for the doors were all closed, but she ran through the rooms of the underground treehouse like a rat through a maze. She ran until she came into a room with tons of pictures in it. Each picture was that of a team and under it were letters and notes as well as explanations on what happened to them. Then she turned and found that the wall with the door she had just come through had pictures of operatives as well, but single pictures. There was a note next to each of them stating either "Missing", "Kidnapped", or "Delightfulized". She stood back and then bumped up against a third wall that had a board next to it that said "Successful Missions". Next to it were operatives who were smiling as well as letters to Numbuh 12AD stating how grateful people were as well as how happy they were that she was able to help them.

Aurora sat down in a heap as though she just had the wind knocked out of her.

"Hey guys, she's in here!" called Abbie as she found the room. She got a good look at the room as well and was equally surprised. "Dang, either you didn't have anywhere to set up a file center or you just liked having a room of memories… and goals…" She looked at the missing operatives wall and noticed a picture of Numbuh 1, the leader of Sector V before her, and a very good friend. The words, "Taken In Action" were posted next to it. There was also another picture next to it that had the words "Subject to Teen Injections" under it. Abbie would deal with that one later.

The picture was from when he was ten. Numbuh 1, or Nigel Uno, was the son of the legendary numbers 999 and 0. He usually wore a red turtleneck with some kaki cargo pants and white jet shoes as well as the set of Black Shades that Numbuh 5 carried in her pocket. He was a bald kid with a lot of nerve, courage, and skills, but his best quality was always putting his team first. He had been taken away by the Galactic KND because he was the best operative on the Earth. He had left reluctantly with the promise that his friends would not come to any harm from the Galactic forces. He had been gone for three years before Numbuh 12AD had been decommissioned.

The rest of the team followed into the room and were as surprised as Numbuh 5 was. Aurora looked at their faces when they looked at the pictures on the wall and somehow felt guilty. True, she hadn't been the one to send Numbuh 1 off, but if what that security video showed was true, then she was the only person who could've saved him. She didn't even know why the computer hadn't just locked her out.

Then she saw it again. That little girl that was, without a doubt, her. She was standing in the doorway looking at the pictures. She had a look on her face that said, "I haven't done enough." Then she looked at Aurora and actually said something. "Maybe this time, you'll get to finish what you started. Remember, no one deserves to be alone." Her voice was cocky, and yet not. It was like she was listening to a hero from a story book. She was bold and courageous and yet, she was kind and caring. There was no malice in her words, only concern. The girl started to fade, but as she did she whispered, "This time, you can choose to fight."


	6. Chapter 6:Faith's Song Will Show the Way

Aurora stared at where the girl had been for a little longer, then at the group of teens that were in the tree with her. She looked on the team wall and found their picture. 'A puzzle that's missing a piece, looks like I gotta find it.' She stood up and walked back to the computer room.

"Computer, I have some questions for you."

"Ask and you will be answered."

"Is there really a way I can be re-commissioned, if indeed I am operative number 12AD?"

"Just open the box and read your last orders and notes. There are also some other things in there such as your file. Then in the letter that your bear is holding there should be something that you left for yourself."

Aurora opened the box and then the letter. She was happy to notice that the letter was written in English rather than codes like she had expected. The letter read:

**_Dear Aurora, It has come to my attention that my computer happens to be smarter than the actual KND Supercomputer. This being said, she will undoubtedly try to get you your memories back. Before you accept it, I want you to think about how your life currently is and then think about the possible danger you will be put into again. Teddy here, the bear in case ya forgot, can help you partly, but he's only there for you as long as you remember to believe. Sorta like a young girl and her rainbow monkeys, only you stuck with a normal teddy bear. Hope you choose wisely, and remember this: What does every kid, teen, and adult know, because that's why they fight._**

**_Sincerely, yourself, Aurora Dawn Marten, aka #12AD, the Lone Wolf._**

**_P.S. This is your song, kid, now sing your heart out._**

When Aurora finished the letter, she didn't have to think hard. She didn't like how her life was turning out, all because people were choosing how she should live. Now she had a choice.

By the time that Sector V returned to the computer room to find her, Aurora was fixing the goggles in a machine from the computer. "They will match your glasses in just a few minutes. Do you need anything else?"

"Yeah, I need my memories, and those candies from the film. I'm going to continue trying to help people." Her voice was kind, yet harsh, as though it was a snowstorm that was just starting.

She grabbed her wooden sword and tapped on the gem three times. A small machine came up from the ground and caused the operatives great surprise. It was a song on a sheet of paper.

"What's that?" Numbuh 5 looked at the paper with curiosity.

"According to the papers in the box, it's a song that I haven't sang in years. Supposedly by singing it again, even in a voice as bad as mine, it should bring back my memories. " Her eyes seemed dazed, even the scared one, as though she was blind, but trying to see.

The four operatives looked at one another and then to the girl. She didn't have any memory of what she had been like as a child, but did she really need her KND memories that badly? What would she use them for? How dangerous was she in her KND form?

Numbuh 3, who had this ability to sense things about others, nodded to her fellow operatives. "Her intentions are good, but I can't tell what they are yet."

"If you must know, I plan on continuing what Numbuh 12AD… no… what I started. I'm going to help operatives be returned to their teams. I'm not gonna let my age stop me."

Numbuh 2 was impressed with the amount of conviction from a teenager who had obviously been lonely all her life. She had been shunned by her own kind in both sets of ages, and yet she still wanted to help.

Numbuh 4 then asked one of the most simplest, but most powerful questions of all times: "Why?"

Aurora smirked and quoted an age old riddle of the ancient kids. "What does every kid know, but every teen might forget?"

Numbuh 5 answered with a nod towards Numbuh 2 and the others. Then she said, "Kids Next Door Rulez!"

Aurora nodded slowly and started to sing the song on her paper.

**"****Faith Trust and Pixie Dust"**

I am not a child now  
I can take care of myself  
I mustn't let them down now  
Mustn't let them see me cry  
I'm fine, I'm fine

I'm too tired to listen  
I'm too old to believe  
All these childish stories  
There is no such thing as faith  
And trust and pixie dust

I try  
But it's so hard to believe  
I try  
But I can't see what you see  
I try, I try, I try...

My whole world is changing  
I don't know where to turn  
I can't leave you waiting  
But I can't stay and watch this city burn  
Watch it burn

'Cause I try  
But it's so hard to believe  
I try  
But I can't see where you see  
I try, I try

I try and try to understand  
The distance in between  
The love I feel and the things I fear  
And every single dream

I can finally see it  
Now I have to believe  
All those precious stories  
All the world is made of...  
Faith, and trust... and pixie dust

So, I'll try  
Because I finally believe  
I'll try, cuz I can see what you see

I'll try, I'll try  
I'll try...  
To fly

While singing the song, she had been lifted up off of the ground and her eyes closed. She seemed to glow radiantly and as she sang her voice went from a rusty sound into sounding as though she had always been singing, like it was one of her powers. When the song ended she dropped face down to the ground.


	7. Chapter 7: The Lost Operative

After a minute she picked herself up, looked around, took a deep breath and said, "I'm Numbuh 12AD of the KND's Lone Wolves. A kid trained to work alone for multiple reasons, including special abilities. Primary orders are rescue and retrieve lost operatives. Nice to meet you." Numbuh 12AD smirked as she dusted off herself. She picked up her wooden sword and placed her teddy bear into her coat pocket. "We're gonna hafta stop by Moonbase to pick up some stuff before we head off."

"Numbuh 5 wants ta know just where **we** will be headin off to." She crossed her arms. This teen had just gotten her memories back and already was acting like she knew some sort of mission that they had to go on, and with a complete stranger of an operative for that matter.

Aurora smirked as she placed on her goggles. "I thought it was obvious. I rescue operatives who need saving. So do you on occasion. I figured since the computer couldn't get anyone to go after him, then why not we team up to rescue your leader?" That got everyone wide eyed and thinking.

Numbuh 12AD walked over to the computer and started typing so fast it made the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. look slow. "I've got some gear up on the Moonbase in my box that I'll need. I can't go on a rescue mission looking like a teenager who's doesn't know style now can I?" she chuckled at the thought of it, "Besides, we need permission to access Sector Junk's labs."

"Sector Junk? I've been a KND scientist for years, and I've never heard of it." Number 2 was scratching his head.

"That's 'cause it's a myth, a legend. One that isn't supposed to be shared with operatives who aren't leaders or Legend hunters." Numbuh 5 said with a sour look on her face. This kid was different, alright. 'I think I liked her better when she was scared of everything.'

"Actually, it's just where they keep the stuff from every sector that they've thrown away. Trust me, it's not pretty, but it's where I got my sword and most of my equipment. Even the computer is built out of old parts."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. I don't usually tell jokes or even understand them. There was this incident that messed up my sense of humor. Old story." She then grabbed a set of keys and two bags of candy and a soda bottle. "Computer, you're sure these will work?"

"I recommend leaving the soda. It'll be ready by the time you get back. Besides, she's nowhere near where you're going."

"Roger that. If you guys want to come with me you can, but just so you know, I've never worked on a team before, except for sports, and that normally doesn't do so good."

Numbuh 5 thought about all that was going on, and decided that it was up to the team. "Well?"

"She says she can get Numbuh 1 back…" Numbuh 4 looked down at his shoes remembering how Nigel had saved him from bullies on the first day of school in America.

"If what she says is true, then we can get him back… then we can be a full team again." Numbuh 3 was hugging her rainbow monkey backpack tightly. Numbuh 1 had always been caring as a leader.

Then Numbuh 5 looked at Numbuh 2. He had been best friends with Numbuh 1 since kindergarten. He was the guy Numbuh 1 trusted above all the other scientists to make things work for his crazy plans. Numbuh 2 looked at Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 12AD and asked, "When do we leave?"

12AD grinned, "Immediately."


	8. Chapter 8: Moonbase and Family

Numbuh 12AD had usually worked a solo bit, but when rescuing teams, she found that she had needed to use a bigger vehicle. She had her own version of the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. that was made out of an old double decker bus from sector E. It had jets and armor as well as some weapons and shields, but nothing as good as what Numbuh 2 could do to his C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. On the second floor of the bus was a bunch of beds and a medical wing, while on the first floor was the weapon panels and control systems. She smirked with the little pride she allowed herself as she showed her heroes into her hanger.

"Whoa. I thought you used stuff from a junk pile." Numbuh 4 was impressed.

"Trust me, Sector E practically paid me to take this from them. It was a bit of a wreck, but I had some favors pulled and got it fitted for my rescue missions. Not as good as your team's bus, but eh, I tried."

Numbuh 2 drove while Numbuh 12AD set up the coordinates and the shields.

"This thing drives almost as good as the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. I'm impressed."

"Thanks." She kept quiet for the majority of the trip.

When they reached Moonbase, Numbuh 5 had to give her Teens Next Door credentials to the operatives on duty and the five were taken to the newest Supreme Commander of the K.N.D.

Numbuh 318 was the latest of the KND Supreme commanders, even though she had been trying to get someone else to take the job for two years now. The main reason being that she was a teenager. She knew the rules like everyone else, but each time she tried to get rid of the job, everyone needed her to take it up again. Her brown, curly hair was short like a bob cut, but as curly as springs. Her dark chocolate eyes were cold and hard as she stared at the five who had just been brought to her. She was wearing a leather jacket and jeans as well as a bright red t-shirt and some prescription shades that set off a seventies boy look. She had zebra stripes all over her office and the moment Aurora walked in she automatically closed her eyes and envisioned the type of person who worked here. She had left her files with a boy, who had no doubt shredded them, when she had turned of age.

She looked around with closed eyes and flinched when she faced Numbuh 318. She was staring at the essence of a young woman who was formed in a kid. This was 318 on the inside. An adventurous, but smart girl who was formidable in a debate. This wasn't her reason for flinching though.

Numbuh 12AD had kept it a secret that she had been an operative, even her name, so when they dropped her off after her decommissioning, they had dropped her off with a set of homework and her school bag at her current school. She had younger siblings though. One of which that knew of her power to see how others were on the inside, her little sister, Zoe Ellenore Marten, or Zo for short. Aurora was glad that her goggles hid her eyes from her sister, as well as most of her scar. She hadn't told her sister that she was an operative, even though she knew Zoe had been. Even her little brothers didn't know that she had been an operative. It was something she didn't want to have messing with their lives when she eventually turned into a teen, having to choose between accusing their sister for having once been an operative, or just thinking she was suffering from a horrible depression caused by being lonely all the time.

Numbuh 318 entered the room and was very angry with what she was looking at. Five teenagers were in her office and they were supposedly decommissioned ones too. At least, she thought they were. Unlike Aurora, Zoe was hard core through and through and was not likely to go soft on anyone. Especially the operatives who she didn't know.

"Alright, spill, who's the newbie on the team, and what the heck are you five doing here? You know you report to the Teens Next Door base on Earth. You don't belong here except with special, top secret, super-duper clearance!" Her voice was as harsh as a thorn bush.

Numbuh 12AD kept her face neutral and answered, "Don't be upset with them, ma'am. I'm afraid that it's my fault. I told them I need something from here, that's all. I need my equipment and permission to pass through the solar system to where no sane kid has ever gone before." Her voice was lighter, more like a normal teenage girl's voice than what she usually sounded like. She had placed a black cap on her head before coming to the base. She usually just wore a cap for an accessory, but now she was glad to have something to cover her blonde hair from her sister's eyes.

"The name's Numbuh 318. I'm in charge of these kids till someone takes over for me. No one seems to want the job though. Now what kind of equipment would a teen want from the K.N.D. Moonbase? Any T.N.D. operatives from within the last two years have had all their stuff moved to their base."

"Yes, but I'm not T.N.D. I'm a lone wolf. I don't usually work with anyone."

There was a sudden knock at the door. A young boy in his third grade year came in with another who was two years older, no doubt his brother. Aurora bit her lip as she recognized her two little brothers. She hoped with all her heart that they did not recognize her.

"Sorry to interrupt Numbuh 318, but the computer was starting to act funny. It told us to bring a box here, but I don't know what's in it. It won't open." Stated the younger of the brothers, while he showed his sister the box.

Aurora looked at the three of her siblings and released a smirk. Her little brothers and sister were all in the same "Club" that she had been in as a child.

"What are you staring at, teenager?" asked the older of the two boys. They both had brown hair and eyes, but the older one wore glasses and was rougher while the younger was smarter and kinder.

"That box in your hands. You just saved me a heck of a whole lot of trouble. That box won't open lest you can sing the correct song to it. Very old lock ya see." She lied smoothly about what she had been staring at, but nothing else. She was normally a very honest girl.


	9. Chapter 9: Secrets of the Junk

After a bunch of fast talking on 12AD's part and some promises on Numbuh 5's part for a complete report from the mission, the team was able to get away from the Moonbase with less trouble than was originally thought.

Numbuh 12AD was even quieter after she had punched in the coordinates for Sector Junk. She felt like this was all some sort of dream. It took them a little over an hour with the hyper drive setting on the Dual Bus as she liked to call it. The box remained sealed.

Sector Junk was in fact just as it sounded. A whole sector of the galaxy filled with junk. "Whoa, what is all this stuff?" asked Numbuh 2 as he parked the bus on a dock made out of Rainbow Munchies boxes.

"Just stuff that no one found a real use for… stuff that no one took claim to, like me." Numbuh 12 AD had changed her outfit with the one that had been in the bus. She was no longer wearing light grey sweats, but instead her whole outfit was completely black, with a trench coat included. She handed out headsets and helmets for the kids as she now thought of them as. "Take these, the KND air gum that you guys normally chew for such emergencies, well… it doesn't work this far out. Sorry." She smirked as she looked at Numbuh 4's annoyed face as he tried to get some bubblegum out of his hair.

"Now ya tell us!" Numbuh 4 was muttering and mumbling about a cruddy teenager.

Numbuh 12AD placed her helmet on her head and connected it to a machine that looked like it had once been a vacuum. The speaker was made out of an old set of ear buds that had once been used for a TT3 player. She breathed in once to test that it worked. She was fine. She walked out of the bus once the others had their helmets on and working.

She walked past the towers of busses and plane wrecks as well as some of the space program stuff. Almost every age group's garbage that hadn't been recycled ended up there. Aurora checked her little teddy bear and her sword. Both were still in hand.

"What was that?" asked Numbuh 4.

Some stuff started to shift through the mountain of junk. "Who…who's there?" came a quivering voice. A young boy wearing a set of armor made of junk. His number is painted sloppily on his washboard chest armor, the number looked like Infinity, only it was placed on its side like an hour glass or an eight, only sharper.

"Surely you know who we are, Numbuh Temporal. I'm glad to see that today you've chosen such a youthful look." 12AD walked towards the child. His skin was as brown as chocolate and his short stacked hairdo. His eyes were blocked by a set of shades that were square. His eyes were muddy brown, but seemed glazed over as though he was dead. "I suppose you were expecting your brother? I know it's been a while since anyone's been here."

"Will he come back soon, A.D.?" the boy asked shyly. He looked up to the girl with hope in his eyes.

"I'll tell Infinite that you want to see him, alright? I need to take a look around and get my gear. If you want to come with us…"

"NO!" The little boy's outcry shocked the rest of the teens, but not Aurora. She stood there standing over the boy with an expression of understanding. "I'm sorry, but you know the rules of my curse. I have to stay here, or... well you know… besides, you are already breaking enough rules being here. I mean, look at you, you've been recomisioned! You promised that you'd stay out, you promised, you know what they'll do to your sister and your brothers!"

Aurora just smiled. "My siblings now have enough fire power to beat me up when the time comes. If it comes to that, I fully expect you to be the one to use the injections on me, the ones that make me harmless." She nodded over to a box with her name on it. "We do what we must for our families, some more than others. They got Cree ya know. Did I tell you that?"

"Yes. You…you told me that… she was just trying to help you know… they got to her… but … why? Why did they attack her? What did they use on her and for what reason? They always went after the younger siblings if their pawns misbehaved or acted differently than they were supposed to. I mean, that's the game right? We do their stupidly dangerous missions and they leave our family alone?" He stuttered and then looked around at the other teens who were obviously confused. "Don't you all know what I'm talking about?"

"No, and do you two mean Cree, as in Cree Lincoln? That's my sister!"

"Yeah, and Numbuh 318 is mine. It took most of my K.N.D. career to discover the antidote to the horrible Teen Injections. It was way above your even your level of clearance." Her eyes narrowed as she recalled what had happened.

Cree Lincoln had been given a secret assignment to take down an evil girl who wanted only candy. It had been her sister who had defeated the child. Cree couldn't even get near the girl. Abbie had become friends with the little demon before finding out how bad she was and defeated her. Cree had been so proud of her little sister, but she didn't know that it had come with a price. At her next doctor appointment, she had gotten a shot that was supposed to be for the flu, but it instead made her into an evil teen six months early. She lost her memory of being a good girl, and turned evil all because someone had messed with the injections. K.N.D. agents figured it out after they had let Numbuh 5 in on the case of the "Rogue" operative Numbuh 11. Numbuh 12AD hadn't even gotten hold of the files till it was too late, but she had always known the reason.

"Galactic has their hand in everything. They controlled most of the KND until I gave them something that they couldn't get without my permission." She was glaring at a crate with the word "Storyteller".

"Why would they do that?" Number 2 took off his brown hat and scratched his head. 'What did they want from her?'

The little boy bit his lips, he looked like he was only about five, but that didn't stop him from knowing what everyone was saying. "It was so they could stay in control. They wanted everyone to keep in their own business, but operatives like 12AD here, well… let's just say that the only reason that the computer never placed her in a sector was because of them." Number 12AD had already started looking for stuff in the storyteller box, trying to find something useful in it.

The box was full of junk that hadn't been used since the medieval times when a kid could see the future. Legend says that he once saw a future that was too far off for him to do anything about, but he laid items in a box for the kid that would need them the most.

"Don't touch that!" Numbuh 5 yelled as she saw Numbuh 12AD digging through the box.

"Relax, I'm just checking for, ah, here it is!" She raised a small glass ball to her hand. "Crystal ball of old, you call, hear me now and answer all: show me the crystal dagger's heart. I'll sing my song when is my part…"

'What the heck is it with this girl and finding all these legendary items that she's not even supposed to know about?' Numbuh 5 face palmed herself as the others asked about the object.

"Let's just say it's mine, and they keep it with your leader. I track the dagger's heart, than I track Numbuh 1 in the same process."

"And just how do you expect to find that?" Numbuh 2 was starting to get skeptical here. This recomisioned teen barely had her memories back and claimed to do what he couldn't, or anyone else for that matter.

Numbuh 12AD smirked. "I guess you could say, the heart is mine." She said as she touched her hand towards her scarred eye. Even under the goggles it she still felt the pain of when she had gotten the scars from that very dagger. It had indeed been hers and the blood on the dagger from her eye formed the blood heart jewel in it's hilt. It was supposedly to give it her more dangerous powers. She could still see and out of her eye, but it was almost always half closed.

The little crystal ball in her hand started to glow and showed a shadow holding the knife, trying to talk to it. "Answer me, damn it! Why can't I remember?" The voice was British, but slightly American as well, a teenager too. It's owner kept a hood over his head, but his voice sounded like he was crying. "I want to know why I don't remember their names, and only their faces… I know they're important to me."

Aurora took a deep breath and said calmly, "I can hear you now. They cut me off. I'm sorry. We're coming to get you and Infinite. Stay close together and don't lose hope, N.U. Sometimes… sometimes hope is all you have left."

The boy in the orb reacted by saying, "How much longer till I can remember. You promised, why did you get cut off anyway, aren't you one of the GKND?"

"No, I'm not. I never was. Keep my dagger close to you and we'll meet face to face soon enough. It will keep you safe in battle when you need it most. Never use it for attacking though, only for defense."

The shadow nodded and then the orb shrank into the size of a marble. It landed in Numbuh 12A.D.'s hand and a bracelet appeared to hold it onto her wrist. "He's starting to break free of their control. We can get Numbuh 1 back easier than we could've a few years ago."

"Now wait just a minute, Numbuh 5 wants some explainen done here, missy." Numbuh 5 was annoyed. In less than an hour, this girl had told more KND secrets than even the Supreme Leaders ever knew, and she claimed she could track down Numbuh 1 as well. Why?

Numbuh 12 A.D. sighed and looked at the curious teens. "Sorry, I'm not used to really working with anyone. I'll try and explain as best as I can what's going on and what I know, alright?"

Numbuh 5 nodded silently.

"I was in charge of tracking down missing operatives and rescuing those who had been captured. Numbuh 1 had been a top priority once the case had been given to me by Numbuh 362, one of the former KND Supreme Leaders. She asked me to see if I could track him down and rescue him. She had only found out about me recently and didn't know my age was just a few months younger than all of you. I started using all my resources to track him down as well as the other operatives that I had to find. Eventually I had tracked Numbuh 1 down, but found that I would've needed an extra year to find him all on my own with the limits I was subjected to… Now though, I've been recomisioned and it's a whole new ball game. The only limits I have are my powers and my skills this time, because they can't do anything to a teen whose been decommissioned. I mean, what else can they do to me now?"

After listening to this and thinking hard on what the young lady was saying, Numbuh 5 only had one question left. "What then?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if that's your last mission that needed to be done, what will you do after you've rescued him? Will you let them decommission you again… or what?"

This question caused Aurora to stop and think. She had always assumed that she'd probably be forced back into decommissioning if her computer had done this. Now it seemed that she had a choice. She looked at Numbuh 5 and then at Numbuh Temporal who was working on modifying his age closer to theirs. "I… I'll find out what happens and go from there. It's not like I had a team waiting for me to be recomisioned anyway… We better get going, Numbuh 1 was starting to get his memories back, and we need to pick him and Infinite up. After that, I'll give you the antidote for Cree's teen induced illness. I'll see what happens from there."

She walked back onto the bus and started to type in coordinates that led into the deepest part of space, far beyond where any sane operative had ever gone before.

"Ya sure you got those coordinates right? I mean, that seems pretty far…." Numbuh 2 asked as he sat down in the seat just behind the driver seat.

"I'm as sure of that, as I'm sure that Numbuh 5 has tasted the fourth flavor and lived to see the sun again." Numbuh 5 blinked at that. She had labeled that for the KND's legendary files. No one was allowed to read those. "I'll drive, Numbuh 4, do me a favor and take control of the weapons panel, Numbuh 3, the shields, Numbers 5 and 2, there are some weapons and armor on the second level of the bus, when you've found a set that fits, Numbuh 2 can take over driving while 5 switches out with 4 and me with 3. This way we'll all get some gadgets ready in case of a fight." She spoke her orders so calmly, so clearly, that it was as though she had always been a leader. Numbuh 5 just couldn't understand why she wouldn't have been placed in a team.


	10. Chapter 10: Her Song

As soon as they were in deep enough space, Aurora started to get her gear checked. She had refused to wear armor with the others, as she expected it would only slow herself down. She did however go over to her little box with the music lock on it. She first checked to see that none of the others were near enough to hear her and then she started to sing,

**_If Everyone Cared_**

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky  
Confusing stars for satellites  
I never dreamed that you'd be mine  
But here we are, we're here tonight

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive  
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

_[Chorus:]_  
If everyone cared and nobody cried  
If everyone loved and nobody lied  
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride  
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

And I'm singing

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive  
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

And in the air the fireflies  
Our only light in paradise  
We'll show the world they were wrong  
And teach them all to sing along

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive  
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive  
(I'm alive)

_[Chorus x2]_

And as we lie beneath the stars  
We realize how small we are  
If they could love like you and me  
Imagine what the world could be

If everyone cared and nobody cried  
If everyone loved and nobody lied  
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride  
Then we'd see the day when nobody died  
When nobody died...

_[Chorus]_

We'd see the day, we'd see the day  
When nobody died  
We'd see the day, we'd see the day  
When nobody died  
We'd see the day when nobody died

When she had finished singing, the box popped open. Inside it was an TT3 that had a small crack in it with a set of music note headphones attached to it still, a pouch of dust for smoke, some energy bars, an old juice bottle filled with a glowing creamy liquid that was still cold, and a small ID card with her younger picture of herself from the KND. She grabbed the items in the box and stuffed them into her pockets.

"Well that wasn't what they wanted from you, or they would've taken yo' vocal cords, huh?" Aurora turned towards Abbey startled, she had sang the song low enough that she thought she couldn't have been heard. "You're good… why hide it?"

Aurora looked at her TT3 and remembered how dangerous something like sound really was and what it had been used for. What they had made her use it for. "It's dangerous… I can sing for the choir, but if I actually put my soul into the songs then I can use them as a weapon if I pay attention…"

"You've got more skills than most people I know, and yet you still hide them… why? Why do you have all these skills if you have to hide them all? Why do you have to hide them at all? Why … why don't you have a team that you could call for backup on stuff like this…?" Numbuh 5 had finally asked a question that had been bothering her from the very beginning. Why was this operative so alone if she didn't want to be? "Don't you have a team that can support you when someone's being a jerk to you or interrogating you?"

Aurora glared at her through her goggles for a few seconds before reminding herself that the one at fault wasn't in front of her. She took a deep breath and said as calmly as she could, "I… I don't know why I wasn't put on a team. I guess I just wasn't good enough." Aurora closed up the box before answering the other questions. "I trained at the KND Artic base just like any other operative, but after I had finished I started training myself on my other natural abilities. I can't do everything like inventing or building. I have to have help for that. I normally called some of the members of Sector Junk, but one by one they all left that desolate place. I couldn't even fit in at Sector Junk… I'm a joke…" She looked up at the window and noticed a bookshelf that had some journals on it. She grabbed one as well as a pencil and wrote in the log for today, as though she had always done so. She then set the journal back on the shelf and placed the pencil behind her left ear, the usual sign for someone who wrote a lot of notes, or just wrote a lot in general. She looked back at Numbuh 5 as she headed downstairs of the bus, "You should get some rest, we'll be out here for a while before we make it to the GKND base."


	11. Chapter 11: Ship's Log

12AD switched off with everyone's job so that they could each get a couple hours break and also made sure there was enough food for everyone on the bus. The bus had mainly stored food that wouldn't perish easily, but it wasn't as much as they could have wanted. Thankfully, Aurora had stocked up on some other foods at the Moonbase and had stored it in the onboard fridge. She wasn't a bad cook for a teenager who liked snack foods.

Hoagie was back on driving again when Abbie came up to him to talk. "She's a bit strange, huh Numbuh 5?"

"Yeah, but listen to this,

**_Entry log Who cares anymore: I'm on my way home once more to hopefully make it in time for my concert. I told my mom I was gonna stop by the library and then meet my folks at the school again. I have my outfit in a sealed bag and, as much as I hate it, some makeup. I've thankfully got a whole library on my bus practically, a book or two under each seat. Never know what the kids will like or how long I've gotta be up here. By my calculations, I should make it back to school in time to meet up with my choir teacher and fix my microphone so that it's actually off. No need to kill someone with my high notes. I'm looking back at the kid from sector J who had been kidnapped by "Space Master", lame name by the way, he just wanted the kid cause he was smartest supposedly. Anyway, I'm looking back at the kid and all he keeps muttering is how he wishes he was home with his team and his friends… I wish I had someone waiting for me other than my computer. It was an accident that she came to life, but I still like it better than nothing. Well, entering the atmosphere, gotta take the wheel again._**

**_12AD_**

She was alone even all those years ago, and this entry is from when she was about ten years old! This is her Ship's log! Being alone does strange things, even after the decommissioning process."

"Dang! Who would force a kid to be alone that long?"

"I don't know but get this final entry,

**_Entry log: WHO CARES ANYWAY?: I'm on the run from the GKND, thankfully I'm supposedly at a friend's house for the week, who by the way does not exist, otherwise my parents would flip if they found this out, and my lil' sis too for that matter. They're after my powers again, claiming I have no control. If it wasn't for Infinite, I would've been dead by now. Hope he's okay, he looked pretty mad when he found out what they did to me so far. My eye is still in it's socket, but just above it is bleeding like some weird cult symbol from class' history books. They've re-cut it again. Who knows why… Can barely see, but I'm sure that they used my own dagger for the deed. I remember them also stabbing me somewhere else, but that must have been a nightmare or a possible future, I tend to see those a lot… nope… they did… I'm surprised I'm still alive! Those jerks stabbed my heart with my own dagger! I left what I needed to though. I left enough of my powers, though not in the way I expected to, so that I can track the ship down. I'm not angry with the boy who stabbed me, as he was under their control. I was shocked though. I didn't think that they'd do that to him… not to a hero like that… I'm looking at the calendar and I now realize why they're letting me escape so easily. Tomorrow I'm no longer a threat, tomorrow, I'm no longer a problem to them. Tomorrow I'm thirteen. I just have to hope I get back to my tree so I can leave some important instructions with my computer._**

**_12AD_**

**_P.S. if Sector V or any other KND operative gets a hold of this, I'm sorry, Numbuh 1's being controlled so don't be angry with him. He didn't know he was hurting anyone._**

Now what do you think she meant by that?" Abbey asked as she closed the log book.

Hoagie gulped as he put it together, "If Numbuh 1 was used to stab her…" he whispered as though he had seen a ghost. The possibility scared the two more than most, but it was still a terrifying though. "Don't …"

"I won't let the others see it…" She said as she placed it back in her bag and grabbed one of the other books written by 12AD. "We'll figure out what's going on and save him. Don't worry." This time she had grabbed a fiction novel that Numbuh 12AD had apparently been writing, or at least some sort of fiction story. At least this one was cheerier reading.


	12. Chapter 12:Bad Memories

Warning, this chapter is a bit more rated T for violence and the such. You have been warned.

After taking a while to convince her, the team had gotten Numbuh 12AD to take a nap, but it only took her twenty minutes to show them why she had been reluctant to sleep. Numbuh 3 was checking out the defense systems on the bus since it had no weapons and Numbuh 12AD had fallen asleep in a chair next to the systems.

Numbuh 12AD had started to glow behind her goggles. Kuki noticed this and was close to shrieking when the glow brightened and a bubble seemed to appear above her head. "G…guys… Something's wrong… w…with… Numbuh 12AD…" Numbuh 2 kept driving while Numbers 5 and 4 came to check out what was wrong.

Aurora's bubble that appeared over her head showed a little five-year-old girl with her head down, hanging on a wall by her wrists, which were chained up. The little girl was wearing a set of overalls and a pink t-shirt and had blonde hair. A sound alerted her that someone was coming and she looked up fearlessly with her blue and green eye both shining fiercely. It was a young 12AD.

"Who's there? Let me down or I'll let you see the reason why I work alone!"

"Foolish child, you don't know the real reason why you work alone, only I do. But don't worry, your mental powers won't work up here anyway." A shadowy voice and a shadow are never a good combination. Especially when it's holding a silver knife in its hands.

"That…!"

"The Blood Heart blade? Yes, I see your abilities have let you get a peek at your future. This will be used continuously until such time that you are decommissioned and your powers cease to exist."

"Why? I haven't hurt anyone with them! I'm training myself to hide them on my own! What good would it do to kill me with that right now? I'm only trying to help kids!" Her voice was more mature than a normal five year old and her bravery made her seem older as well. "You're just trying to keep me disabled while you go and do some more of your dirty work, aren't you! You're upset because I can track you and your stupid shields can't keep me out!"

"That won't be a problem for much longer. Now I'm just going to take some of your blood with this blade,… or would you rather I harm someone else… someone younger perhaps? I know you have a sister, but she doesn't seem to have your talents… she's more of a physical strength than mental, isn't she?"

Aurora closed her eyes and concentrated, "Leave my sister alone. She didn't do anything to you. She doesn't even know what the KND is yet, never mind you!"

The shadow moved faster than Aurora could react, "ACK!" She bit her lip and started to cry with blood falling down her face with her tears.

"Like I said before, she's not a problem. The problem is all you." Aurora raised her head, for the first time seeming like a little girl, crying, her courage was gone it seemed, as well as most of her mind. On her face were the three scars that Sector V had come to know as her mark. It could've passed off for a cat scratch, but now that they saw, they knew why she could track the blade. It had her blood on it.


	13. Chapter 13:What You All Were Waiting For

Aurora woke up shortly after with a headache. She looked around and noticed the grim feeling in the air. It felt as though someone had died. She looked around and counted off everyone to make sure they were still alive and was relieved to find that she hadn't activated a dangerous power in her sleep. She noticed the silence and felt tears coming down her eyes. This was what it had felt like when she had gotten the scars on her eye. She felt alone.

After putting together that the others probably hated her for one reason or another, she walked over to the navigation board and checked how close they were to the GKND Treehouse. They were only an hour away thankfully and she started upstairs to grab her coat and sword. She stood behind Numbuh 2 as they pulled into the first space port.

"State your name and reason for being here! And also how the heck you found this place!" The voice was the same as the one that had been on the orb. It's owner was standing on the dock with two other hooded beings. Aurora closed her eyes behind her goggles to see who they were.

"Two kids and a jerk… what next?" she muttered as she saw that one was N.U. with no doubt, and the second was Infinite, or Numbuh Infinity, while the third was a shadowy boy who looked upon the bus with disdain. She had never known his name, but she did know he was the one to originally take her blood, to cut her.

Numbuh 5 came up to the front of the bus. "What's the status?"

"They'll let us land, but I have to use one of my powers on the third guy in the back while you guys get the other two on the bus." Numbuh 12AD was excited, but sounded calm. She opened her eyes so she could see what everyone looked like properly. "I know you guys probably hate me for some reason or another, but do you guys trust me enough for this?"

"Yes." Numbuh 5 didn't even hesitate.

"Thanks. When you get them on the bus bring them upstairs and wait down here, I'll patch them up later, but N.U. will be having a major headache before we get anywhere near Moonbase, and my power will only do a temporary stun on that third guy before he calls for an alarm." She was in her element now, strategies that didn't involve people getting hurt badly, or even having to do much.

Numbuh 5 nodded. "Do you think you'll need backup?"

"No, just you, Numbuh 4, and Numbuh 3 by my side to grab the one in the red hood and the brown hood. The one in the blue hood is the controller of those two." Her heart pained her for a second as she recalled what had happened the last time she had tried a rescue. She had been unprepared. She hadn't thought that they would use the very people she was trying to save against her. Now she knew what to expect… for the most part.

The four operatives walked out the door while Hoagie stayed inside ready to hit the gas when told to. Aurora walked down and for the first time the others seemed to notice that she had an air about her that made everything seem like it would be fine.

"I'm called Operative Numbuh 12AD, the Lone Wolf. I'm traveling with Sector V today to pick up some items and people that need to come to Planet Terra, or Earth, with us." Her voice was no longer nice, but dead serious and almost stone cold.

Numbuh 5 noticed N.U. flinch at some of the words she had said, as though he knew something about them. His face was still hidden by his hood, but she had a feeling she knew him.

The guy in the blue hood spoke up. "You should not have come back here young lady. In fact, you shouldn't have been recomisioned in the first place, Aurora."

Aurora nodded once and N.U. and Infinite started to circle around towards the operatives. Numbuh Infinity was doing so more slowly though. Numbuh 4 stared at him in confusion. They had been told that he was under that hood, and not to harm him, but why would he move so slowly. "I never had a choice in the matter, you had something that didn't belong to you, and I never finished my final mission. I won't have my record stained by a murderer who thinks he can control me."

"I'm no murderer, you are. I keep kids who have potential here, I keep them safe and out of time's way so that it doesn't affect them."

"Light-years affect them faster than normal years."

"Yes, true, but I know how to make them seem smaller. A few more years and N.U. there would stop aging entirely, he still ages as though he's on Terra Firma, but just like Infinite, Mariam, and Malcom, he will soon stop, just like me."

Aurora rolled her eyes as she kept the hooded one focused on her. His face had been scared in an incident against a set of adults. She knew this from seeing it earlier. He didn't want to grow up to be like them, so instead he found a way to never grow old.

Numbuh 3 and 4 got the other two hooded ones started towards the bus. N.U. tripped on his way though and dropped a small silver knife. He looked back at it with worry in his eyes as Aurora stooped down to pick it up. She lifted her goggles as she stared past the knife at the hooded boy who had caused her pain. "Keep them going, I'll keep this guy distracted. N.U. needs one of those special candies from my treehouse. I placed them in a cabinet on the second floor." Her voice was cold, her glare was icy. "Tell Numbuh 2 to get the bus started, I'll be there as soon as I teach this creep what it means to grow up hard."

At that moment the hooded figure took off his hood and showed his scars. "You fool, you think you had it hard? Your only scars are across your right eye! Mine are covering half my face!"

Numbuh 5's eyes widened as she recognized the boy from an old photo she used to see in the KND history books, "Jonas Flame, the pyromaniac kid who thought he could melt away his age! He later blamed his parents for the incident by saying that he was burnt by them. That was over eleventy years ago though." Her hushed voice was heard by Numbuh 12AD as she finally knew what the monster's name was. "He then thought to mind control all the adults, but then disappeared after he was stopped by the Kids Next Door…"

"That's right, Miss Lincoln. I specialize in mind control, and amnesia, as well as dabble in messing with a thought process with a few chemicals. Your sister was injected, but not for the reason everyone thinks, oh no, Cree was just the test subject, but not to worry, she did volunteer. She volunteered to take the place of another operative who would've been much younger, but the idea should've worked nonetheless."

"You sick, twisted, jerk." 12AD snarled. It was similar to that of a lioness on the hunt.

"Who did she replace? Who?" Numbuh 5 was now muttering this. She was two steps behind 12AD and had her hands on a KND blaster from the ship.

"Why, you of course." Taking in Numbuh 5's shock as happily as a child would receive ice cream. "You see, I was quite interested in your natural abilities and figured I could slip it into your next flu shot, but Cree figured it all out thanks to 12AD here." Aurora cast her eyes to her left and downward for a second. "So, I cut Cree a deal… I leave you alone, and she becomes the lab rat for it. Oh 12AD did try to convince her against it, but to no avail. Cree underestimated me though. She thought she could handle me, trick me, you see. She came in for her shot and we got into a fight. I managed to inject her… barely though, and then ran. Because I got so little of an amount into her, she reacted slower. She didn't go "Evil Teen" on you folks till she was twelve and a half. Nevertheless, I think it worked out perfectly well, save for one tiny detail… she was supposed to follow my orders and obey me, not fight it every chance she could." His dark red eyes seemed to be filled with a craze that a scientist gets when he's discovered something that only he could find.

"Grr!"

"Numbuh 5, get on the bus, Infinite's been blinded for helping me out and N.U. will regain his memories once he eats that candy. As for your sister, I've got a can of soda with her name on it. That's the only thing he messes up on is that I can reverse the effects because he made them chemically induced." 12AD kept her voice calm, even though she knew that she was about to be attacked. This guy liked to tell his plan and then attack, so that he could get a rant out as well as make sure that his enemies went down with a feeling of regret and failure, 'Typical villain types…'

Just as Numbuh 12AD predicted, she raised her sword in hast to block a knife while she tossed her dagger to the ground behind her. Jonas wasn't the type to let people get away, but fortunately for him, Aurora's grudge didn't keep her from doing only disabling blows to him. Abbey fought the urge to step into the fight, grabbed Aurora's dagger, and ran to the bus. She glanced back only to see Numbuh 12AD barely jump back from a stab of the knife. Her reflexes were too slow for a kid who was used to saving the other operatives from all sorts of danger… but not for a teenager who ran only ran from bullies. Aurora was considerably slower than most teenagers unless she was afraid, then she would be able to turn that into an energy that she could use to outrun the bullies.

"You were a fool to come here, child! Without your powers, you're not half the operative you once were! That last cut took the rest of your powers, I'm just surprised that you didn't die when we stabbed your heart!"

At this N.U.'s eyes widened as he realized who was saving him. Sure he didn't have control then, but that didn't mean he didn't know what had happened. Numbuh 3 was helping him to the Dual bus while Numbuh 4 and 5 were helping the blind Infinite to get to the bus. N.U. started to cry a little.

"I'm as surprised as you are, but you're wrong about my powers… I've still got a one of them, and a new one to boot!" She closed her eyes and teleported on top of the bus.

Below her, Hoagie was watching the fight and also the prisoners. 'N.U. … his initials?... It couldn't be that simple… could it? … Yeah, yeah it could… It's us after all… us and all our luck…' He ran up to where the candies were and grabbed one for the poor shmuck. He ran over to N.U. and Kuki with the candy in one hand and a bag of weapons in the other. "Numbuh 3, we gotta help her."

"Yeah, but what can we do, she told us to get these teens out of here! He sure can't fight, he looks like he's having a headache!" Numbuh 3 indicated to N.U. as she accepted a teddy bear blaster from Numbuh 2.

"Migraine actually and he'll be fine once he eats this." He handed N.U. the candy who gratefully accepted it and started to suck on it. He then handed N.U. a mustard blaster while he got his G.U.M.Z.O.O.K.A. ready to fire. Numbuh 3 nodded and ran off to help get Infinite on the bus. After a minute of clutching his head, N.U. straightened himself and Numbuh 2 could see smirk form under the hood.

Numbuh 12AD finally stopped teleporting and started singing out the chorus of a song as she fought Jonas, wooden sword against his knife.

"I will never be afraid again,

I will keep on fighting till the end.

I can walk on water, I can fly,

I will keep on fighting till I die"

Every time she finished this chorus she managed to shriek out a long scream that blasted Jonas back at least fifty feet, keeping sector V from being overtaken by the madman. The song also seemed to create a shield around all the team as well as strengthen each time she sang it.

Numbuh 2 smiled as he saw N.U. recognize the situation. "You okay?"

"We'll talk later. For now, get Infinite and the others onto the bus, I'll get… who is that anyway? I never heard of an operative being called Numbuh 12AD, or the lone wolf for that matter. I remember… meeting her… once, but that was it, and it was while I was under his control." N.U. took off his hood to reveal a bald football shaped head with a set of blue eyes behind a set of small librarian like glasses rested on his nose.

"Like you said, we'll talk later. You've missed out on a lot… Numbuh 1."

The two friends nodded and then headed off to help the others. Numbuh 12AD saw this and smirked, 'Just like in the movies… kids these days…' She teleported in front of Jonas and batted him back with her sword. He was about to stab back when he was suddenly blasted by a whole lot of hot mustard. He crashed against a wall this time and groaned as Numbuh 12AD and Numbuh 1 came towards him. "So, this is how it ends? The lone wolf pup and the hotshot leader team up to take me out?"

The two looked at each other and Aurora sighed. "If that was how I worked, you'd be dead by now."

"I don't kill either, if that's what you were thinking." Numbuh 1 held his blaster up and had set it to "Cement" and shot it at the fool in the rubble. "I just knock you out and leave you for whatever authorities exist for you." Jonas was now plastered in by mustard, spicy mustard at that.


	14. Chapter 14: Mission Accomplished

Numbuh 1 was sitting in the front of the bus with his team so he could even talk to Numbuh 2 while they drove back. Numbuh 12AD smiled and walked up the indoor stairs to the second floor where their prisoner and their patient were waiting to be dealt with. She tightened the ropes she had used on Jonas once more, to make sure that he wasn't loosening them. She then walked over to Infinite to talk to him. They were on separate ends of the bus.

"How are you feeling Infinite?"

"Better, thank you Miss Marten. What about you? I can't see, but I can definitely tell you've been wounded other than your scar."

"My heart got another scrape from his knife is all, I'll be fine… still don't understand how I'm still alive, since I had been stabbed directly **_in_** my heart just before I turned thirteen…" Her voice was shaky, tired even. Then she coughed a little. "Sorry, it was hot back home before I was recomisioned and I opened a window for a night… so, yeah allergies, heheh…"

"Allergies to pollen in the air, my dear?"

"I really wish you'd quit acting like you're in the nineteenth century, and I'm not your dear, so you can quit that." She wasn't tired, she was just weak, her heart was starting to hurt again, just like it did whenever she finished running or swimming for long periods of time. Her head started pounding as she looked at the silver dagger in her hands. "I'm going to fix your eyes, and they'll drop you off at your brother's place in Sector Junk, understand?"

"Yes, but I repeat, what about you?"

"They have to park the bus in my Cliffside hanger anyway, so I'll be fine till then."

"How do you intend to fix my eyes? It's impossible, even for you."

"Remember what my **_really_** special ability was? Even when I'm at my weakest, as long as I can sing, I can heal others."

"Oh, is that how you did it… but wait, you weren't registered with that talent…"

"Look under weapons next time, Voice is not listed just cause of my back talking…" she smirked again. She then closed her eyes and started to sing a song, any song would do really, but she liked to sing songs that had meaning to her, as it helped her powers to work properly as well as for people to understand her better.

**"If Today Was Your Last Day"**

My best friend gave me the best advice  
He said each day's a gift and not a given right  
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind  
And try to take the path less traveled by  
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day  
And tomorrow was too late  
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?  
Would you live each moment like your last?  
Leave old pictures in the past  
Donate every dime you have?  
If today was your last day

Against the grain should be a way of life  
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight  
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try  
So live like you'll never live it twice  
Don't take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day  
And tomorrow was too late  
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?  
Would you live each moment like your last?  
Leave old pictures in the past  
Donate every dime you have?  
Would you call old friends you never see?  
Reminisce old memories  
Would you forgive your enemies?  
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?  
Swear up and down to God above  
That you finally fall in love  
If today was your last day

If today was your last day  
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?  
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars  
Regardless of who you are  
So do whatever it takes  
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life  
Let nothin' stand in your way  
Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day  
And tomorrow was too late  
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?  
Leave old pictures in the past  
Donate every dime you have?  
Would you call old friends you never see?  
Reminisce old memories  
Would you forgive your enemies?  
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?  
Swear up and down to God above  
That you finally fall in love  
If today was your last day.

When she had ended the song, Infinite was sleeping. When he woke up he would find that he could see again. Numbuh 12AD smiled. She liked to help others. It made her feel like she belonged. She sighed as she collapsed onto the bed she had been sitting on and felt herself retreat into the dark shadows of her mind. She was out cold now. She had finished her final mission.


	15. Chapter 15: My Boss, My Sister

When Aurora woke up, she sighed in depression. She was in her room, in her house. It was as though she had never gone on that trip into space to save one of her heroes. She shook her head, 'If I'm here, than it never happened at all. I'm not Numbuh 12AD, that's just another Fan fiction idea that I came up with…' She got out of bed and walked downstairs in her pajamas. It was Saturday, it had to be, otherwise she would've woken up to her alarm clock. She was wearing a set of pink pajamas that made her look almost like a princess with the colors. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and some milk and looked at the calendar on the pantry door. Her mom was probably already at her sales party, trying to sell Plasterware, some sort of kitchen thing, not that Aurora ever really paid attention to that stuff. Her dad was deployed still and wasn't supposed to be back till next month. Her siblings were all at friends' houses. 'No… no they aren't, they're up at the Moonbase, laughing at me… yeah… laughing…'

She got out her pencils and a journal and started to write some of it down between spoonfuls. "… and they flew home all laughing together while Numbuh 12AD jumped onto… her hoverboard and flew back to the KND Moonbase by herself to get… decommissioned again, as that was the best choice in the matter… after all, who would want to work with a girl who … had no right… no, that's not it… who had no team to work with in the beginning, and so … did not belong… there at all…"

"I say you need to work on a better ending for your story, Aurora." Came the voice of her little sister. Aurora looked up from her cereal and almost saluted her, but remembered that it was all just a dream.

"Hey, Zo, thought you were at a friend's place. Did you forget something?" Zoe rarely came home anymore due to being so popular. Aurora had never had that luck. She'd always have her computer fake someone's voice… no she had to have had friends, that computer was just a machine in her imagination… wasn't it?

"No, I didn't but I did get told by someone who dropped you off here after school that you might have hit your head."

"Funny, I don't remember that…"

"As I said, you hit your head pretty hard. Now about your story…?"

"Right, right, the ending… I suppose you want me to make a happier ending to it? Like what though? I just remember her passing out on the way home, she didn't make a decision on whether or not she'd be decommissioned or not."

"That's what I want to talk to you about Aurora… I've been informed about all the details and journals you kept on your Dual Bus and I…"

"Whoa, stop! This is a fan fiction based off a dream that couldn't come true, don't try to make me feel better by acting like it was real."

Zoe smirked. "So you'll stick with being decommissioned?"

Aurora blinked. She added the facts together in her head and sighed with relief. "It was all real?"

"As real as Numbuh 0."

Aurora chuckled at that as she remembered that half of the KND at one point believed him a myth or legend, but not real. "Wow… but no. I mean, I was always alone… I don't like to be alone, even if I can work alone. I'm no leader, that last mission just proved it if anything, but I have problems trusting most people's judgment because they never think or listen to their team members… sorry I guess I got carried away there…"

Zoe grimaced as she started to realize why her sister was so secluded and lonely. She trusted no one, but she still didn't understand why.

"The computer didn't even place me in a team, Zoe. I wasn't fit to work with anyone because I can do some things that no one else can do. I can now teleport, and heal with my songs…"

"Yeah, so I heard in the report, as well as track down your own blood that was trapped in a dagger. You can also use your screams like a sonic blast and push back your enemies with it, and use your songs to make shields, so what else is new?" Zoe smiled. "I can do a few card tricks that can blow things up, and our brothers are hacking geniuses. We've all got quirks."

"Yeah, but I know for a fact that you all were placed into teams."

"Yeah… well now you are too."

Aurora stared at her sister for a moment than shook her head. "Sorry, I must've had something in my ear. I thought you said I was now in a team."

"You are. You're to report to TND base to meet up with your new team and their leaders. It's a co-leader team for a while because of an incident or something, but you'll pick it up as you go. Here, you looked like you needed a new uniform when we put you through the hospital." She placed a newer version of her trench coat and gear on the table. Aurora stared at it with wide eyes as she placed her pencil down and started looking through the gear. Her wooden sword was now cleaned up and polished, her little silver dagger no longer had her blood on it, save for in its gem, and she had a street cap from a 19th century style for boys. "Just don't come running to me for help again without the proper authorization, sis. I have enough trouble running a bunch of kids through the right missions without a silly teenager getting lost in my Moonbase." With that Zoe walked outside to her hovercycle and flew off towards the moon.

Aurora just smiled as she stated the most obvious thing in her mind, "Kids Next Door Rule."


	16. Chapter 16:The End Ya Shoulda Known :D

Aurora placed her gear into a backpack and started off towards where she had hidden her hoverboard. "Song" was all she had said and the board rose to life. It was a simple board, black with pink trimming. It was faster than most hoverboards though, at least, it used to be. Now it was probably obsolete, but that didn't stop Aurora as she placed her helmet on her hair, made sure her glasses were secure on her head and that her backpack wouldn't fall off or make her fall over. She didn't know where the TND base was, but she did know where to find her computer, and that would be able to track down the base.

As she flew towards her tree she realized just how big it was. 'It's big enough to house a whole sector, just underground, so why did I get stuck with it all on my own?'

She shook off the question as she landed in front of her tree. She smiled this time as she punched in the code that opened it up and walked on in as though she was in a normal thing once more. She didn't mind, she liked the feeling in her stomach that knotted up as she walked closer and closer to her computer. It was a feeling of excitement that she hadn't felt since she was a kid. She typed in the question and received the coordinates to the nearest entrance to the underground lair of the TND.

She was only a little surprised to find that there was in fact an entrance just in the school's library, but with it being a Saturday, the doors would be locked. She decided to try them anyway though for the heck of it. As she was just about to try another entrance she heard a voice from behind her. "Need help with the door, Numbuh 12AD?" She looked behind and blushed as Numbuh 1 and his team were behind her. Numbuh 5 smirked and brought out her own key.

"Thanks… never really had the chance to see the underground and all, ya know?"

"Same, I hear it's interesting. They just got my parents to move out here, apparently there's too many teams working in old sector V."

"So now you guys are all here?"

They all nodded and smiled as though they had a secret. Aurora just rolled her eyes. "Well then, welcome to sleepy little Shelton, where the biggest problems are just finding jobs."

As they entered the library, Aurora felt the security that she always felt in the library. It was a feeling that seemed like the books were her fortress and she was the dragon princess that guarded her knowledge, her treasure. Abbey led the way to a back room which had an adult tied up in it. It was Cree. She looked at the teens with anger in her eyes. Aurora shook her head. At one point she had considered Cree an ally, now she was just another mission. Aurora handed Abbey the soda can that could fix her sister.

Hoagie and Nigel held Cree back while Wally held her nose. "Bottoms up sis, it's for your own good." Abbey stated as she poured the entire can's contents down her sister's throat. After Cree had drank the whole thing, she passed out. The five teens looked at Aurora who simply shrugged.

"She had the bad stuff in her for years. She'll volunteer to be decommissioned now, probably… the only definite is that she won't attack without good reason anymore. She'll be nicer…"

Kuki tapped a book that was titled **_Teens: A History of difference_** and the room sealed itself. They were now in an elevator.

"We'll take her to the hospital we got and then home once we know she's fine. I'm gonna stay with her the whole time though, so Numbuh 2, you're gonna show Numbuh 1 around. Numbuh 362 is already expecting us so don't worry about it. Just be careful when you show him to Numbuh 58, I don't want him passing out from fear just yet, hehe." She then looked at Numbuh 12AD who still looked like a young seventeen year old girl in sweatpants, a t-shirt, tennis shoes, and glasses with a set of scars on her face. "Numbuh 362 is definitely expecting you to show up, think you can find her on your own?"

"All I have to do is look for someone who looks just like me with no scars, glasses, or brown splotches in her hair, and has a different style of clothes… no problem." Aurora smiled softly as she looked around. 'I hope that if I really do get a team, they're as nice as these guys… I hope I get accepted. Looking at them and idolizing them as heroes, I thought they wouldn't notice me or even consider working with me, even to save one of their own, but after going through all that… I'm just glad I got to work with them for real… even for a little bit. They're even better than I had hoped they'd be.'

As the elevator stopped, Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 4 helped Numbuh 5 to carry Cree to the underground hospital while Numbuh 2 showed Numbuh 1 around. Numbuh 1 was now wearing his shades again and felt really good while doing it. He looked back at Numbuh 12AD to thank her and apologize for the stab all those years ago, but she just smiled at him and shook her head. She understood. Aurora still hadn't put on her gear, so she could easily be recognized as "Scar" from school. She smirked as she thought about the bullies from up above and what everyone would think if they saw her like this, calm, cool, and stronger.

As she walked on her own she noticed some of her classmates staring at her with confusion, others with embarrassment. She walked straight up to the building that seemed to be the center of attention.

"Excuse me, Numbuh 86, but could you tell me where Numbuh 362 is? I'm kinda lost down here." She asked a fiery red headed girl with a Scottish accent. She turned in confusion, as she had never seen the girl before, but answered the question nonetheless.

"She's… er… right down the second corridor in the main office."

"Thank you." Aurora smiled as she left Fanny Boss scratching her head trying to place the scar-faced girl. 'I've always wanted to do that hahah!'

Making her way to the office, she noticed some other operatives that she recognized from their trading cards, or just from watching around when she was younger. 'No one really changed how they were inside thankfully.' She was walking around with her eyes closed. With her eyes closed she could see how people were on the inside, and for the most part around here, they were the same as they had been as children. She then opened her eyes and saw the door that had the number "362" on it. She smirked and knocked three times on the door.

"Come in."

Aurora took a deep breath and walked in with her copy of the mission report. She handed it to a girl, who at one point, could've been her twin.

"I don't need to look at it right now, Numbuh 12AD. I'm a little surprised that you didn't come down here in your usual outfit though. I know you liked to think that it helped you to stay hidden, which it probably did, since no one really knew you existed lest they needed saving. Can I offer you anything?" It was like going into a job interview and your friend was the boss. Aurora sat down in the chair and faced the desk.

"I'm sure you don't drink juice anymore, so no thank you." Aurora blushed. She was the only person she knew who had a problem with soda and coffee. It was one of those things that could make her feel sick even when it was supposed to be good for her.

Rachel T. McKenzie smiled at Aurora's nervousness. She was only like this when she respected someone and she couldn't hide behind her goggles without feeling rude. "Apple Juice right?" She walked over to a mini fridge and pulled out a can of Apple Juice and tossed it to Aurora. "Here ya go."

"Thanks." Aurora blushed in embarrassment. She knew many teens preferred soda or coffee this close to graduation.

"No problem. Now about your work with sector V." Numbuh 362 sat down in her chair behind her desk and looked at Aurora with interest. She had been one of the few operatives who had actually known of Aurora's existence.

Aurora immediately panicked, thinking that she hadn't done anything right during the whole mission. "I'm sorry, I should've been more honest with them about the dagger and their leader, and then with Numbuh 11's illness, I should've just gone and fixed her first and then we'd have had another member to help us but…"

"Stop!" Aurora stopped and took a deep breath. She bit her lower lip and alternated sucking on her top lip. Rachel sighed as she looked at one of her best rescue operatives, one of the only operatives in the history of KND to work alone because she wasn't registered a team, break down in fear because she thought she had done something wrong. This wasn't Rachel's first time dealing with one of Aurora's break downs though, so she knew what to do. "Take a sip of your apple juice and let me tell you what each of the team had to say on your work, as well as the report on Number Infinity's healing process." Aurora nodded slowly.

'She's so going to decommission me, I just know it! Oh man, I failed big time… I embarrassed myself in front of my heroes too, oh man…' Aurora was still worrying, but now it was all in her head while she kept the can of apple juice to her lips.

"I'm going to read to you each report about how you acted from each operative. They each had something to say on how you've handled the situation from the moment you were being chased by bullies, to the moment they brought you home. Don't worry about your folks by the way, we came up with an excuse for you. Is your mom always that mean by the way?"

Aurora put her can down and looked at Rachel, taking in the scent of perfume she was wearing. A scent that had been discontinued a couple of years ago. "You went… and posed as me? Are you out of your mind! My mom may not be a super villain, but she's scarier than Father when she loses her temper!"

Rachel was taken aback. "How did you know I posed as you?"

"Do I look like I'm three? First off, you're wearing my flats, something I rarely wear by the way, so thanks for that. Secondly, you are wearing my jeans, which by the way, I hate, so you can keep them. They don't fit me anyway, never really did. The reason I know they are mine is because they discontinued selling the ones with the cat on the back pocket just last year, and I still fit my freshman year sweats, so I never bought any real new clothes. Finally, that perfume was discontinued three years ago when I turned thirteen. I've used it sparingly and only for fancy occasions, because of how strong it is, so there had better still be the majority of it left."

Number 362 blinked in surprise. Numbuh 12AD really knew how to tell something just by looking and observing. "It was only for two days. You'll find your school work is all done for you and same with the house being cleaned spotless."

"And how the heck did you manage that?"

"… I called in some help, alright… once it became apparent that you were taking Sector V after Number 1, I went and initiated one of **_your_** emergency plans that you had designed as a kid. I'm surprised that it worked by the way. Number 5 contacted me after you had gotten your memory back and you were packing up your bus."

Aurora closed her eyes and sighed. "Sorry." She had just drawn out those plans just as a joke, but she had made them very detailed and was sure they would work.

"Don't worry about it… now about your mission. Number 1 stated 'Although I wasn't able to be there during the initial start of the process, I remember how calm she sounded when she used the knife and orb to communicate with me. She knew how to reassure me, even though I had no memories of who I was at the time.' That's a good quality to have by the way, in case you forgot." Aurora just blushed. "Then Number 2 said 'She stayed in that tree all alone while every other kid had a team or friends… she didn't let it get to her, she just went on doing her job, just like she was trained to do. If something bothered her, she would just write it down, or write down a story that seemed to make her feel better. She makes great muffins by the way.' He didn't really stay on topic with it, but I think he was trying to say something about you working alone shouldn't be permanent even though you're great at it. Number 3 stated this 'She wasn't perky and happy when she worked with us, but I got a good look at her room and she had all her stuffed animals in their favorite spots and they looked so happy that she was back. She hugged all of them before we left.' …" Aurora's eyes went up to heaven as she tried to think on how to explain her love for stuffed animals came from her loneliness. "I don't think she was really trying to comment on you, just your love for stuffed animals so she could ask if you wanted to play later…"

"Probably…" Aurora's face kept getting red and she kept trying to duck her head like a turtle into his shell.

"Number 4 had this to say though, 'She didn't stop for a minute, she just kept right on going as soon as she knew what needed to be done. She seemed willing to go after Numbuh 1 even without our help. During the fight she was only on defensive stance, but she probably could've'… Yeah, I'm not gonna quote that bit, but he's pretty sure you could've beaten this 'Jonas' with no problem. Why didn't you?"

"He's the leader of the KND Galactic division. I still don't exist to them either, so unless he wants to admit my existence as an operative and victim of his, he'd have to keep quiet and keep away from Earth now. Especially since he knows I hate it when he takes operatives and I'd come back for them." Aurora shrugged. It was the only answer she had in mind that worked with why she let him live. She didn't like to kill anyone or leave evidence that she was there. "That's why after he was knocked out, I cleaned up the mustard from Numbuh 1's blaster and left a note stating that Sector V had come for their leader back and took him and Number Infinity as well. Jonas will just look like he was going to a meeting with them and fell asleep on a box waiting for them."

"Well… that's a good idea actually… Well, now for what Number 5 had to say about you…'She didn't like to wait around. As soon as her memories kicked in, she acted as though she had led eleventy billion missions with teams already. She asked us politely to do things and we found ourselves following her with very few questions other than; "Why doesn't she have a team?" When we got to Sector Junk, she went off on her own thing, knowing what would happen. She calmed down Numbuh Temporal…' Which by the way isn't always so easy… 'She then brought us to the GKND treehouse and somehow slipped us under their radar without letting them know until we were in the docking bay that we were there. She explained to us what to do and we followed orders. It was only when Numbuh 1 had his memories back that she backed off. It was as though she knew he could still lead us. She started following his lead after that.' Now how does that sound?"

Aurora was just surprised. She didn't think anyone would think of her like that, as a leader.

"Number Infinity's report just states that he was proud to have been rescued by 'such a skilled individual'. He really knows how to kiss up…"

"Tell me about it." Aurora rolled her eyes. She had finished her apple juice by now and was waiting for it to either make her sleepy, for she thought she had been given the juice with a sleep drought, or she was going to be told something important.

"Now I have one more thing to talk to you about before I tell you what your situation is… Numbers 5 and 1 reported finding you passed out and unconscious on one of the beds with your dagger on the floor and your heart seemed to be bleeding out. Naturally they were concerned and had thought you had done suicide until Number 5 had properly examined the blade. It's apparently made of a rare metal that improves magic used with the blade. The only way to break this is to have the 'sacrifice' fight back with the blade. By picking up the blade, you started to fight back, and by defeating Jonas, you managed to break any spells he had cast upon not only you, but all of the GKND and anyone else that it was used on. Your cut in your heart from right before your decommissioning opened again for a second, spilling out the bad blood, and then it seemed to heal. We aren't sure about what that means, only that you'd best not join up the spring sports this year."

Aurora relaxed a little more. 'That's alright…'

"So as for the rest of your situation, I'm going to offer you two choices. The first choice is to be decommissioned and return to your life as… yeah I'm gonna skip over to the next option, okay?" Aurora smirked and nodded. "Good, your next choice is to join a team. The team would of course have to agree to keep you on it and you'd have to follow their leader. You'd be given your own room and we'd come up with some sort of excuse depending on what team accepts you. You should know that the teams for the TND aren't sorted by letters anymore. We don't even sort into team names or the same places, but some of us still call each other by the old team names for the sake of it. We still go by our numbers though, so that should make it easier for you to know the people on your team."

"Wait, your saying… that you could put me into a team even though the Super Computer said I couldn't ever be on one?"

"Remember, I am the Supreme Commander of the TND, and your little sister is the Supreme Commander of the KND, at least till some kid decides to finally take over for her." Number 362 smiled deviously. "I think we can figure out something."

Aurora gave a small smile that usually meant she was amused with something. The fact that Rachel was willing to go against what a computer and Supreme Commander had both agreed on when she herself had just been a graduating cadet made it seem like Rachel and Aurora were kids again and they were just cadets who wanted to get into the candy storage unit.

"Besides, I've already gotten a request for you to join a team."

Aurora blinked in surprise. "How's that possible if no one knows I exist?"

Rachel smirked. "Well, do you accept or not?"

Aurora didn't have to think twice about it, she only had one request. "Can I still keep my tree? I can't really move my computer out of it and well… it sorta developed a personality…"

Rachel had to hold her laugh in. The fact that 12AD had even considered to call her cavernous lair a tree just because it was under one, was hilarious. "I'm sure they'll let you as long as you don't mind letting them stay there as well." Aurora nodded quickly in agreement. "Well then, I'll just call in your new leader." She pressed a button on her phone to contact her secretary. "Send in Number 12AD's new leader. She's been working alone for far too long."

"Yes ma'am." Came the static like voice.

Aurora's eyes started out wide and worried, but calmed down as her new leader came in. He wore a red sweater, some brown cargo pants, some white tennis shoes, and a pair of shades. Nigel Uno smiled at Aurora with his usual confident gaze. "Welcome to the team, Numbuh 12AD… Welcome to Sector V."


End file.
